Imagine!

You are 5 years old, living in fear, having been severely neglected by the people who you should trust to protect you…. your parents. How would you cope?. This is the true story of Jennica and you won’t believe how she responded.

Jennica’s parents were in and out of jail and were constantly using and selling drugs. One of Jennica’s earliest memories involves being pulled from her bedroom in her apartment as she held on to the bedpost. She was only five years old.

Doesn’t sound like a child who would ever become a college graduate?

Thankfully, Jennica knows that her past doesn’t determine her future. With the support of Guardian Scholars, Jennica was able to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara. Jennica has continued her studies and has one year left for her doctorate degree in Educational Psychology. She envisions working with other foster youth who struggle like she did in her formative years.

Guardian Scholars enables Jennica to continue her education without worrying about homelessness. Guardian Scholars has helped her find an internship, provided support and guidance when she struggled with health issues and stresses of watching younger siblings take different paths. It provided her with someone to turn to when no one else was there.

85% of Guardian Scholars participants complete higher education compared to 3% of foster youth nationally. Your support could mean the difference between homelessness and college graduation for a foster youth like Jennica.

Do you think there should be more Guardian Scholars like Jennica?

IMAGINE! You can make a difference by doing any of the following:

-Share Jennica’s amazing story on social media.

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